


Favor of Contract

by sharingoxygenwithyou



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Alternate History, F/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, the author took major liberates in this story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 15:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19153471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharingoxygenwithyou/pseuds/sharingoxygenwithyou
Summary: from anon:Prompt (au) : Edward IV is still unmarried but seeing Elizabeth. For keeping Warwick and Clarence loyalty, he marries Isabel Neville knowing her feelings for his brother.





	Favor of Contract

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot to post this here when I posted it on tumblr a few months ago.

“But she is a child!” Argued Elizabeth, her voice rose above the sacred silence of their surrounding. She glared up at him then spat, “How could you possibly accept the betrothal?”  
  
“Warwick is relentless.” The strain in Edward’s voice is showing his own frustrations of the situation.  
  
“And you are King!” The both of them have been arguing about Edward’s betrothal to the eldest Neville daughter since the day Warwick suggested it, but the young King was no fool to think of it as such – he knew Warwick – it was an ultimatum. Ever since he expressed his plan to marry Elizabeth, a Lancastrian soldier’s widow, Warwick was furious. He had been negotiating for a French marriage to secure France as an ally, however, he refused, saying that he would marry for love and he would marry Elizabeth.  
  
Now, Warwick gave him a difficult choice to make; choose Elizabeth or his own loyalty to the crown.  
  
“The country is still too fragile for me to lose a crucial ally.” Edward gritted his teeth when he saw Elizabeth’s icy stare; he really should have known this day would come – he did not think Warwick to be a turncoat but as his desperation to be Edward’s indispensable ally, so did his ambition.  
  
“So you are to wed a child bride?” Elizabeth knew child marriages were not uncommon but the thought of Edward wed to a girl years beyond his age did not sit well in her stomach. “You are to do as Warwick’s bid and acquiesce to this marriage?”  
  
“The marriage is for politics alone.” He said, reaching out to touch her shoulders, his voice lowering as she allowed him to hold her body close to his, “I do not care for the girl.”  
  
“And yet you are to marry her.”  
  
Arguing had a dull exhaustion to it like they’d been over the same frustrations too many times before.

* * *

  
The dining hall was surrounded by Lords and Ladies, feasting by the tables laden with marvelous delicacies and drinking golden-colored wine. Laughter and conversation accompanied the musicians as they continued strumming their strings and beating their drums. The joyous crowd of noblemen and women couldn’t stop discussing the future wedding of the York King to Warwick’s eldest daughter.  
  
King Edward found George near one of the tables of food, goblet in hand. His brother looked only slightly less grumpy, but there was still a firm crinkle in between his brows and his lips were down-turned in an unimpressed fashion.  
  
“What do you think of the new soon-to-be Queen, brother?” He asked, his bright eyes idly wandering about the hall until they land on said future Queen, who was being the perfect image of an Ice Queen. Surrounded by the wives of noblemen, with her mother and sister by her side. A thought occurred to Edward, as he continued to watch Isabel’s demure and almost stoic express, he had not once seen her smile in public, just like her mother.  
  
“She will certainly be a compliant wife.” George didn’t even bother looking at his brother as he reached for a grape and popped it into his mouth.  
  
“And it does not bother you?” Edward turned his attention to him, watching him with careful eyes.  
  
“I’m afraid I do not know what you mean.”  
  
“I see the way she looks at you, brother.” Edward said, “The whole court does, I assume. Her heart belongs to you.”  
  
“But she wants to be Queen.” The Neville heiress mirrored her father’s ambition, one could easily see it in her eyes when she looked at the throne. She wanted to be Queen, and now, her father had her mere days away from the crown. “And more so, Warwick wants her on the throne.”  
  
The King turned full to his brother, his expression turned to something dark and serious.  "I’m not as naive as for whatever the reason you think I am, brother mine.“  
  
“You could have fooled me, brother mine.” His last words were sharp as he finally glanced at Edward, a matching scowl on his handsome face, but it swiftly turned into something that one would describe as a charming smile if Edward didn’t know his brother better. “Still indulging yourself with the company of Lady Elizabeth Grey?”  
  
Edward’s scowl deepened, choosing not to dignify his brother’s taunt with a response, he gave him a pointed look before leaving George be, not missing the look of pure arrogance on his face as he seized the last word. 

* * *

  
Her headpiece was heavy, she could feel the slight swaying of the silver colored silk cascading down the back. Isabel had yet to be accustomed to wearing such a hennin, but mother insisted that wear one. Anne had jest that the headwear was larger than her head. That earned a cold disapproving glare and a noise of impatience from mother. The sound of the intimate crowd surrounding her mother and her as they congratulate their family. She knew well enough that all their words were just pleasantries with no true hold but despite this, her face remained impassive as her mother continued to talk among these noblewomen.  
  
She should be thanking Almighty God and the Blessed Virgin for the incredible luck that was hers, for her father to arrange her match with the York King but she found herself wanting to scan the room in search of another York brother. Of course, she did not. She kept her attention to the conversation, even if she did find it dull.  
  
But that was what a Queen would do. And Isabel was groomed to be Queen.

* * *

The wedding day came soon enough and the ceremony was greatly a splendid affair, before she knew it, she was walking the aisle of the great church in a deep blue dress made with the finest velvet and silk with gold trims, the look of pure pride on her father and mother’s faces, Annie watching in awe as her older sister stood in knelt in front of the altar with the King.  
  
Once their union was made permanent and sacred by the eyes of God and men, the sound of cheering and claps and horns fill Isabel’s ears.   
  
Everyone seemed rather pleased with this union. All except maybe the King. She was his bride now, but only due to his own choosing. And Isabel will forever be reminded of that.  
  
After the ceremony, once again a great feast took place. Edward smiled and charmed the people surrounding them as he continued to drink the wine from his goblet.  
  
However, when the time for consummation came, he brushed away the leering noblemen who wished to see the couple consummate their marriage. He ordered that they shall not be disrupted.  
  
Isabel found herself in bed, waiting for Edward to come to her but as he moved around the chamber, he still cradled a goblet of wine in his hand.  
  
“Your Grace.” She found enough of her voice to speak and Edward turned to his bride. “Are thou not coming to bed?”  
  
“No, mayhaps, never, I’m afraid, Isabel.” He said, giving her one of his charming smiles. A smile that had won England alongside his sword.  
  
“Pardon, Your Grace?” She looked at him and already felt that she was disappointing her parents for not making the King want her. “Have I done something to displease my Lord?”  
  
This time, Edward’s smile is different. It was still bright but now it did not reach his eyes. “It cannot be helped, I’m afraid, Isabel.”  
  
Edward would not hope for love and tenderness in this marriage, nor did he care for it. He had Elizabeth for that, but he only hoped that this union would pacify Warwick enough to bring peace in the land. He took another swig from his cup and stood, no intentions of sharing a bed with the Neville girl. Warwick wanted a marriage union, he did not say he had to consummate and produce an heir. This was a marriage in contract only. Nothing else.  
  
From the bed, Isabel watched her King and husband depart from their supposed marriage bed; she found her knuckles turn white as she clutched the cool sheet, breathing deeply. She watched him move towards the door, not once giving her a second look before it closed behind him.  
  
Truly, Isabel wondered, if Queens were not made for happiness. 

 


End file.
